USED GUNS: HOW TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE SAFE AND SOUND

You don’t have to look around the firearms market much to realize that prices have gone through the roof in recent years. With no end to the increases in sight, used guns are becomingly an increasingly popular option. However, as with buying any pre-owned product, it’s important to carefully inspect any piece before laying down your hard-earned cash. Let’s take a look at how to make sure you’re getting a good deal on a used handgun.

How to Check the Condition of a Pre-Owned Handgun
1. Safety comes first. If the used guns are revolvers, then make sure there are no rounds in the cylinders. If they’re pistols, then check for a round in the chamber and remove the magazine.

2. Give the gun a careful visual inspection noting any bluing or obvious wear. Also, note any rust pits on the exterior.

3. Check the grips to make sure they’re nice and tight. Be wary of any gun with split, chipped, or cracked grips. If you spot scratches in the finish or grips, then the gun may still be well worth buying, but cosmetic blemishes like these give you haggling room.

4. The screw heads should be clean and in good shape, with no evidence of marring or other abuse. If the gun looks rough on the outside, then it’s a good bet that the interior mechanism wasn’t cared for very well.

5. For accuracy’s sake, you should be able to look straight down the weapon’s barrel when you raise it to eye level, with no tipping up or down.

6. Check the barrel (and the cylinder, if the gun’s a revolver) for bulging or bending. While you’re doing that, give the muzzle’s crown a close look. It should be clean, without dings.

7. If the weapon has adjustable sights, then check the position of the rear sight. If it’s strongly to one side or the other, then there’s probably an accuracy problem. If the seller won’t let you test-fire it, then pass it up.

8. With the owner’s permission, dry fire the weapon once or twice. Doing this occasionally will not harm used guns that are in decent shape. Pay attention to the trigger pull. It should be consistent. A stock trigger will usually feel too heavy, while a light trigger indicates that it has been adjusted. This is fine so long as it doesn’t have a hair trigger. A trigger that breaks at around 2.5 to 3 lbs. is ideal for most shooters.

9. Cock the hammer, and push on it with your thumb. It should stay in place. If it pops out of its notch, then you have an unsafe weapon in your hand; pass it up.

10. Check the barrel’s interior for signs of pitting, rusting, and other imperfections. Do the same with a revolver’s cylinders. Be wary of any weapon with an oiled barrel. This is sometimes done to hide faults. A tiny bit of rusting or pitting isn’t a deal-breaker, but it will lower the weapon’s value.

For Revolvers
1. Check the forcing cone at the barrel’s rear, as well as the top strap of the cylinder gap. If either is heavily eroded, then someone has fired a lot of heavy loads through it.

2. Pull the trigger all the way back and check the cylinder for play. It’s fine if it has some slight play in it, but never too much.

3. The cylinder gap should never be wider than .010”. The closer to .006”, the better. Cock the gun once for each round the cylinder can hold (for example, cock it five times for a five-shot cylinder). The cylinder gap should stay the same each time.

4. Spin the cylinder. It should turn easy. If it doesn’t, then the gun might have a bent ejector rod.

5. Inspect the firing pin. The tip should be round and smooth. Be wary of any revolver with a dull or broken firing pin.

For Pistols
1. The controls should be smooth and fluid. Check the safety by setting in and trying to pull the trigger. Make sure that the slide lock holds the slide open. The magazine should come out easily once the release is pushed. If the pistol has a grip safety, then make sure the trigger can’t be pulled unless it’s pressed in.

2. Give the slide a good going-over. Look for any cracks or signs of wear. These often occur with aluminum slides. Make sure that the slide stays tight when the gun is cocked (a little play is fine). If you can, then field strip the weapon and put it back together to make sure the process goes smoothly.

3. If the pistol is a single action, then cock it and shut the slide closed quickly. If the hammer falls, then you have an unsafe weapon in your hands, and you should pass it up.

4. A magazine in good repair is essential to a properly functioning pistol. You want to make sure that the original magazines that came with the weapon are available. Look at the feed lips closely, noting any wear, cracks, or signs that they have been bent. The seams on the magazine should be tight. While you’re at it, check out the bottom of the magazine for signs that it has dropped on the ground. A magazine should never be treated that way.

5. Be wary of any used weapon that doesn’t come with a warranty. This leads to our final point.

Whenever possible, buy your used guns from Dury’s. As one of the leading San Antonio gun stores, we have decades of experience and expertise, as well as a reputation for outstanding customer service. Each gun we sell has been inspected and tested thoroughly by an expert gunsmith and is backed by our lifetime guarantee. Go ahead, and take a look now. We guarantee that you’ll like what you see.